Coupling for sectional rods



Oct. 20 1925.

L.. L. MAST COUPLING FOR SECTIONAL RODS Filed March 29, 1924A Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

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LOUIS L. MAST, 02E' WEST MILTON, OHIO.

COUPLNG EUR SECTIONAL RODS.

l Application filed March 29, 1924, Serial No. 702,910.

To ali whom t may conce/rn.'

Be it known that l, Louis L. Meer, residing at Nest Milton, county of itlianii, btate of Uhio, post-cnice address lil/'est Mil ton, Ohio, citizen of the United t'ta-tes,have

tion with lightning-rods.

Lightning-rods are now commonly formed from copper tubing, and, for convenience in manufacture and shipment, this tubingris made up in comparatively short sections, usually about ten feet in length. flihe several sections are united in endwise relation when the rod is erected and, when so united, constitute the complete lightning-rod.

The object of this invention is, in general, to improve upon the sectional-rod coupling disclosed in my United States Patent No. 1,140,052, dated May 18, 1915.

The invention is graphically portrayed in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which lilre reference characters identify corresponding structural parts throughout the several Views. The different figures or views shown on the drawing may be briefly described as follows: Y

Figure 1 is a collective detail view, in perspective, of one section of my improved rod-coupling and of a lightning-rod section (shown broken away), showing the position of said parts before said coupling-member has been secured to said rod-section;

Figure 2 is a detail view, in perspective, of the other couplinganember;

Figure 3 is a detached detail view, in perspective, of one of the cores carried by the coupling-members Figure l is a fragmentary view, in elevation, partly in section, of the couplinginembers and two lightning-rod sections, showing said parts in their partially assembled position;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view, in elevation, of lthe two coupling-members of my invention in completely assembled position relative to two adjacent lightning-rod sections;

.Figure 6 is a fragmentary view, in elevation, partly in section, of one of the coupling members showing the completely assembled and operative position thereof with respect to an adjacent liglitningfrod section; and

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane of the seotion-line i-Z appearing in Fig. o.

a lvly .invention is shown as applied to a lightning-rod formed of metal tubing having spiral corrugations extending length wise thereof; but it will be understood that the invention may be used in connection with rods, or similar parts of various kinds,

and that it is not necessary to the applica- Y tion of my coupling 'that the rodshall be hollow throughout its length,rit being sufficient if the two rods or two sections of the rod to be connected have openings' in their ends to receive the cores of the coupling-inembers.

The lightning-rod shown in the drawing is formed of a plurality of hollow sections 1. Each section consists of a length of metal tubing, preferably copper, corrugated lengthwise and spirally thereof. In the present instance, l have provided the sections of the rod with six longitudinal corrugations or ribs. l have selected this number because it enables me to so corrugate the rod as to give it the desired qualities, that is, to enable it to be bent or crimped without destroying its shape, and, at the same time, owing to the largenumber of corrugations produced, each corrugation or rib extends about the axis ofthe rod only a few times, and, therefore, the coil which these corrugations tend to form has but a few convolutions, and the effect produced by the electricity traveling about these convolutions is greatly reduced. The machine upon which these hollow rod sections are formed and corrugated is of such a characteil that the end portions of the corrugations are substantially straight oi' parallel with the axis of the rod. llVhile this arrangement of the corrugations is preferred and is such as to facilitate the application of my invention to the rod, it is by no means essential. y

'.lhe coupling which I have devised consists, broadly, of two members, having means for separably connecting the saine one to the other, eachsection being provided with a. core, of peculiar construction, adapted to extend into the open end of the rod section to which it is to be attached, and having one or more lingers arranged to bear upon the exterior of the rodsectionwhen the vcore has been placed within the opening in the rod. These lingers are of such a character that they may be pressed forcibly against the outer surtace 'et' the rod. thereH by crimping or distorting the metal ot the red against the core and thereby effect an interlocking connection between the core and said rod` whereby the coupliiig-inen'iber is clamped rigidly to the end et the redsection.

The 4details ot the "construction may be varied; but. in the present embodiment et the invention, I have shown the coupling as con'iprising two members, which are preferably nconveniently and advantageously censtru'cted :from pure uniform seamless copper tubingfsaid members being identified in theI 'drawing by the reterence-numerals '2 'and 3.

Them'ember 2 has a screw-threaded socket 4 adapted to receive a screw-threaded nipple 5 on the coupling-member 3.

In the application of the couplings to the rod-'sections l, l, the coupling-member 2 is secured to one'end of `a rod-section, and the coupling-member 3 to the adjacent end of the adjoining rod-section, 7as shown in Fig. 5, Vthereby enabling the rod-sections to be connected one to the other, in series, to form a continuous `rod of any desired or prede termined length.

Each 'section ot' the eouplingearries a cere shown indetail in Fig. 3 and identified. in Athis ligure, by ythe reference-numeral 6. This core is ofpeculiar conformation, for a particular purpose. It comprises an annular head 7, a truncated cone-shaped shank 8 projecting coneentrically lrom vsaid head, 'the base or :largest diameter el: said shank being at the head ot the core. and an annularenlargem'ent lor boss 9* on the reduced end olf the shank.

This core '6 is preferably "made separate from the coupling-sectionsQ land 3, and is adyantageously made ofbrass. The core is rigidly secured inthe coupling member in any suitahle or preferred manner; it may be driven into the coupling-member, so that the head 7 may have a very tight frictional lit with the tubular couplingi'nember, or 'said head. when in position within the couplingmember, may be brazed to the latter, or other ways and means o'l securing the core in the coupling-member" against accidental removal may be employed, as will. readily suggest themselvesto any mechanic.

Each coupling-member 2 and 3 carries, at one end, longitudinally-projecting lingers 10 in an annular series, arranged to be pressed forcibly against the outer surface of the rodsection l to clamp the same .against the core 6. As here shown. these lingers kare arranged.substantially parallelwith the core, but flared slightly away therefrom, to facilitate the application of the coupling-member to the end et the rod-section 1. These lingers are especially' desirable where the coupling is to be yapplied to a corrugated rod section, and I prefer to employ one linger tor each groove formed by the corrugations or' the rod. In the present instance, there are sii; such lingers, preferably integral With the coupling` member, and capable ofbeing bent inward and lpressed `against the metal wall `ot the rod to clamp this wall into locking engagement with the core 6.

The operation and manner of use of rthe coupling will `be apparent from the foref going description. The coupling is applied to the end of the rod-section by inserting 'a core in the hollow end and pressing the lingers against the outer surface of the rod with sullleient 'torce to crimp the metal 'of the rod into vcontact with the shank S and the-boss 9, as clearly shown in Fig. `6, thereby elliecting van interlocking engagement between the core Gotthe coupling members 2, 3 rand the rod section l. This completes the rod section. IVhen the yrod-sections 'are on the job and ready to be erected. the ends of the rod sections are brought together and lthe couplings screwed one into the other, thereby quickly and lirmly unitingthe rod,

f. and, aiter the rod is in position, the'sections can not be separated except by 'beginning at one'end and systematically tearing down the rod as a whole.

rlhe advantages of my present coupling member over that disclosed in my 'Patent No. 1,140,052 are that Iam enabled to make the couplingeniembers 2 and 3 out of pure iuiitorm seamless copper tubin'g.'and 4to provide brass cores 6 separable from the meinbersQ and 3. In the patented construction, the 'coupling-members and the cores vcarried thereby lare unitary structures, 'being iriade by casting, and the patented couplingrnembers being, in fact, not tubular bodies. IAs the coupling member, with its integral core, el' the patent had to be made by casting, in a foundry, it could not be made uniform, and could not be made in pure'cop'pe'r. The coupling-member of Ymy present invention presents an absolutely uniform surface of conductivity for electricity.

'Having thus 'fully described'niy invention, what I claim as new and desire 'to secure by letters-Patent oit' the United States is:

In a lightning-rod, the combination with two hollow lightning-rod sections, of a coupling-device therefor, comprising two sheet-metal tubular'members removably secured together at adjacent ends, each yprovided, at its tree end.l with an annular vseries et lingers bearing against the exterior surtace yet the adjacent lightning-rod section, at one end thereof, a pin removably ydisposed in the bore oi2 each tubular member and comprising a truncated cone-shaped shank, shank and under said enlargement, wherebgr,7 :Ln enlarged circular base at one end of said the tubular member and lightning-rod secshank snugly fitting the interior surface of Jtion are nterlocked with Said pin. 10 the wall of the tubular member, and an en- In testimony whereof I hereunto ax my 5 largement on the reduced end of said shank, Signature.

said ngers bent inward and the end of the lightning-rod section crimped against said LOUIS L. MAST.` 

